Animated figure toy



. impart motion thereto ofthe invention is Patented Oct. 24, .1950

Homer Gam'ache; Butte, Mont, assign or ofonehalf to Nick Vujovich, Butte, Monti Application June 21 1949,.S erialNo. 100,337

This invention has for its :purpose. to provide a novel figure toy comprising a hollow air filled compressible body and ahead connected-therewith, thehead including movable facial features and/or other movable elements adapted to be put in motion bystreams of air discharged from the body when thelatter'is compressed, thus producingfigureanimating effects.

The invention consists in the novel construeftion and combination of parts of the figure toy whereby the movable'elements of a head part ofthe structure are so arranged as to be respectively'put'in motion by individual streams of air discharged from a compressible hollow body part, means'being'provided for properly directing the individual air streams in actuating impingement upon the respective movable elements so as to An illustrative embodiment "shown in the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a 'front elevational view and Fig. 2 is 'a rear elevational view of a figure toy according '-to-theinvention.

Fig. 3is a fragmentary-vertical longitudinal sectional view, taken-on line 33 in'Fig. 1, but

drawn on' an enlarged scale; Fig. 4 is a longitu- 'dinal vertical sectional view, taken on line 44 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5is a detail sectional view taken on line-55 in Fig. -41on afurther enlarged scale. p Y

Similar characters of reference are employed in-the above "described views, toindicate corre- -sponding parts. a

For the purpose of illustration, but wi'th'out intention of limitation, the'figure toy according to this invention is shown anddescribed in'the form of "a doll simulating the appearance of a circus clown. 1 I

The figure toy of'this invention comprises a' At least the body part I and a head part I I. torso section of the bo y part is hollow, whereby 'to provide an internal air chamber I2, and is made of soft flexible 'rubber'or like yieldable material so as'to be compressible, and yet, by reason of its resiliency,'being adapted to automatically resurne its-normal shape after the deforming compressive force applied thereto hasbeen relaxed. "The torso section of the body part II] terminates at its upper end inan upwardly open tubular "neck portion I 3.

' The head part II of v a hollow'member preferably made of a suitable [plastic material-which is suitably shaped-externallyto provide a desired facial appearance. The hollow interior of the'headpart II provides a the figure toy comprises.

claims; (01. 46420) v lowercompartment Ill. In the clown doll figure, as shown, the head part I I terminates at its upper end in a hollow hat .formation I5 of desired shape. The wall of the crown portion of the .hat formation I5 defines an upper internal compartment I 6. This upper compartment I6. .is divided from the lower compartment M by a transverse perforate partition I7. Said :wall of the crown portion'pf the hat'formation I5, in the illustrative embodiment shown, is made of transparent material, so as to'make visible mov 'able material which .is enclosed within the upper internal compartment I6, as will be subsequently more particularly explained, The wall of the hat formation is .provided,.adjacent'to its upper extremityfwith one or more air vent openings I8.

' lhe lower end of the head part1! terminates in .adownwardly open tubular. neck' portion I9 which is suitably joined to and incommunicatioh with the tubular :neck'portion .13 of the torso section of bodypartll].

neck portions I3 and I9 is so made asto be air The jointv effected bctweensaid tight. Providedxintermediate the lower compartment I4 of the head part M and the passage of the-neck portion I9 is a transverse partition20.

Formed in connection with the front wall of the head part, II is a nose formation .2 I, and above this nose formation saidfrcnt wall is further provided with a pair of outwardly. open eye socket :formations 22 which indent said front wall so as toproject-into theinter-ior of the lower internal compartment I4 of the head part. These .eyesocket formations 22, which are located re- ".spectively at opposite sides of the nose formationa2l, are of elongated form, and are respectively downwardly inclined from their outer ends toward their'inner ,ends; which terminateabove andfi-adjacent to thenose formation ZI. The

"eye socket formations thus provide internal eye tported respective eye simulating balls 24.

- eye balls 24* are of spherical shape, and may be socket chambers 23, in which are movably sup- Said made of any suitablelight weight material which is adapted. to readily yield to thethrust of air streams caused to impinge thereupon, and thus to induce movement thereof within the confines of the eye socket chambers 23. sides of the eye socket chambers 23 are closed by The outer open transparent panels 25, which are suitably secured 7 in place.

to the head part, as e. g..by cementing the same Said panels 25 retain theeye'ballsl l against displacement from .the eye socket chambers, but, beingtransparent, expose said eye balls and their movements to view. Provided in the lower wallof each eye socket formation 22 is an opening or slot 26 leading thereinto from the lower internal compartment I4 of the head part II.

Cooperative with each eye socket formation 22 is an air stream directing or air jet tube 21. These air jet tubes 21 are respectively footed by their lower ends in and through the bottom partition of the head part II, so as to communicate with the air chamber I2 of the torso section of the body part [0. The upper free ends of the air jet tubes 21 are respectively directed toward and terminate adjacent to the bottom openings or slots 26 of the respective eye socket formations 22. To further assure entrance of air from the air jet tubes 21 into the eye socket chambers 23, deflector baffles 28 may be provided for extension from the lower walls of the eye socket formations 22 for disposition in overhanging relation to the discharge ends of said air jet tubes 21.

Below the nose formation 2| of the head part II, the wall of the latter is provided with a mouth opening which is preferably defined b a transparent panel 29 suitably secured to the head part, as e. g. by cementing the same in. place. Affixed by their lower ends to the bottom partition 20 of the head part i I, to upstand therefrom within the lower internal chamberl4 of the head part I I, and in laterally spaced apart relation behind and spaced from the mouth defining panel 29, is a pair of supporting posts 39. Said supporting posts 30 are each provided with suitably located annular shoulders or stop portions 3| intermediate their ends. Mounted on and between said posts 30, so as to be supported by the shoulders or stop projections 3| for oscillatory movement in vertical plane, is a carrier plate 32, having openings 33 through which the upper end portions of the posts extend. Said carrier plate projects from the posts 30 toward and so as to terminate adjacent to the front wall of the head part II, and carried by the forward end of the carrier plate is a flange 34 which is suitably formed and colored to simulate a row of teeth. The tooth flange will, at proper times, be visible through the transparent mouth panel 29, and can be caused to move up and down relative to the latter by oscillatory movement of the carrier plate 32. Footed by its lower end in and through the bottom partition 25! of the head part ll, so as to communicate with the air chamber l2 of the torso section of the body part III, is another air stream directing or air jet tube 35 which extends upwardly into the lower internal compartment it of the head part II, with its discharge end directed toward and terminating beneath the carrier plate 32.

' If desired, the head part of the figure toy may be provided with movable elements limited to the movable eye and teeth simulating parts, but it will be understood that other movable facial'features adapted to be actuated by air streams or 'jets'in similar manner may also be'provided.

Furthermore, added novelty may be attained if desired, especially in the clown form of figure toy illustratively shown, b provision of ,a deposit of additional movable material within the crown portion of the hat formation [5 above the perforate partition 51, and exposed to view through the transparent walls of said crown portion when said walls are made transparent for such purpose. Movable material adapted for such disposition preferably comprises a discrete mass of light weight bodies, particles or flakes 36, such e. g. as pap=r confetti; the pieces of which may be of the same or or two or more different colors.

parent mouth panel 29 with additional amusing 4 Footed by its lower end in and through the bottom partition 20 of the head part II, so as to communicate with the air chamber l2 of the torso section of the bod part I0, is still another air stream directing or air jet tube 31 which extends upwardly into the lower internal compartment l4 of the head part II, with its discharge end directed toward and terminating adjacently beneath the perforate partition ii of the head part I I.

As shown, the body part In of the figure toy may be suitably clothed in appropriate apparel or costume 38, which may be arranged to be secured to the body part by any suitable means.

In the operation of the figure toy, whereby to produce the animating effects provided for, the operator compresses the bod part It), thus putting the air contained in its internal air chamber 12 under pressure. The compression of air in the air chamber [2 causes air to discharge through the air jet tubes 21, 35 and 3! into the interior of the head part H.

As a consequence of the above described operation, air jets discharged from the air jet tubes 21 arerespectively directed toward the respective eye socket formations 22, so that the discharged air enters through the slots 26 into the eye socket chambers 23, whereby to impinge upon and exert thrust against the eye balls 24, thus causing the latter to be put in motion within the eye socketv chambers 23 with amusing animating effect.

Similarly, the air jet discharged from the air jet tube 35 is directed against the carrier plate 32, causing the same to oscillate or move on the supports therefor, and thereby producing movement of the tooth flange 34 relative to the transanimating effect.

When the hot formation l5 includes the mass of confetti or like mass of similar discrete material 36, the air jet discharged from the air jet tube 3? is directed toward the perforate partition ll, so as to flow upwardly through the perfora- .tions thereof, and thus in thrusting impingement upon the confetti or like material 36, thereby agitating the latter to cause dancing movement thereof within the compartment IS with further amusing effect. Since air vents 0r openings l8 are provided in the upper portion of the hat formation, the air discharged into the compartment is not compressed or its motion blocked, but is kept in motion so as to, in turn, produce the desired motion of the confetti or like mate rial36. Fromthe above description it will be understood that the instant invention provides a novel construction of figure toy so devised and characterized as to be operative to obtain amusing animating effects.

Having now described m invention, I claim: '1. A figure toy comprising a hollow compressible air filled body part, a hollow head part connected with said body part, laterally spaced outwardly open elongated chambered eye socket means formed on the inner side of the front wall of said head part, said chambered eye socket means being downwardly inclined from their outer toward their inner ends, transparent panels closing the outer open sides of said chambered eye socket means, eye balls movable within said eye socket means, said eye socket means having air admission slots in their under sides for com munication with the interior of the head part, said eye balls, being adapted to be moved by line pingement thereupon of air streams brought into contact therewith, and air jet discharging means leading from the interior of the body part and directed toward the openings of said eye socket means, compression of said body part being adapted to discharge air therefrom through said air jet discharging means.

2. A figure toy as defined in claim 1, wherein each eye socket means is provided with a projecting baffle element adjacent its air admission slot and overhanging the air discharging means directed toward said slot.

3. A figure toy comprising a hollow compressible air filled body part, a hollow head part connected with said body part, said head part having eye structures and teeth simulating structure mounted within the interior thereof so as to be visible from an exterior thereof, said eye structures including movable eye balls, said teeth simu-' lating structure bein also movable, said eye balls and the movable teeth simulating structure being adapted to be moved by impingement of air streams brought into contact therewith, and air jet tubes leading from the interior of the body part and respectively directed toward the respective eye structures and toward the movable teeth simulating structure, compression of the body part being adapted to discharge air therefrom through said air jet tubes whereby to move the eye balls and the teeth simulating structure.

4. A figure toy comprising a hollow compressible air filled body part, a hollow head part connected with said body part, said head part having a hollow transparent hat formation at its top, a perforate partition between the interior of 7 said hat formation and the interior of the head toward said perforate partition, compression of said body part being adapted to discharge air therefrom through said air jet discharging means.

5. A figure toy comprising a hollow compressible air filled body part, a hollow head part connected with said body part, said head part having a hollow transparent hat formation at its top, a perforate partition between the interior of said hat formation and the interior of the head part, a discrete mass of material within the interior of the hat formation, said head part having eye structures and teeth simulating structure mounted within the interior thereof so as to be visible from the exterior thereof, said eye structures including movable eye balls, said teeth structure being also movable, said material within the'hat formation, said eye balls, and said movable teeth simulating structure being adapted to be put in movement by impingement thereupon of air streams brought into contact therewith, and a plurality of air jet tubes leading from the interior of the body part and respectively directed toward the perforate partition of the hat formation, toward the respective eye structures and toward the movable teeth simulating structure, compression of the body part being adapted to discharge air therefrom through said air jet tubes.

HOMER GAMACHE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 494,410 Carpenter Mar. 28, 1893 1,153,207 Eisenberg Sept. 14, 1915 1,451,085 Popper Apr. 10, 1923 1,585,340 Fitzgerald May 18, 1926 1,807,207 Frisch May 26, 1931 

